By Ron Chen, Correspondent ASEAN Region
A global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, Vertiv has introduced an innovative Dynamic Grid Support feature for Vertiv™ Liebert® EXL S1 uninterruptible power supply. When coupled with the Vertiv™ HPL lithium-ion battery cabinet, the complete system represents the first single-vendor integrated solution on the market combining grid support features, UPS and lithium-ion batteries.
Available now across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Vertiv™ Liebert® EXL S1 with Dynamic Grid Support feature allows energy-intensive industries to utilise UPS systems in a proactive way. As intermittent renewables continue to challenge conventional electric power generation, new energy storage services are required to help meet sustainability goals, generate revenues and reduce energy bills. Using the UPS with Dynamic Grid Support and lithium-ion batteries during times of grid instability can ultimately contribute to decarbonization and transition to green energy, securing the supply of electricity by addressing the imbalance related to renewable power generation, in turn supporting global sustainability.
The Vertiv™ HPL lithium-ion battery cabinet which is already in use in North America and will soon be available in EMEA, is compatible with most current and legacy Vertiv three-phase UPS systems. While Vertiv was an early adopter of lithium-ion batteries for the data centre, the Vertiv HPL marks the first offering with Vertiv’s own battery management system with key features specifically designed for modern data centres, such as improved user interfaces, integrated controls and enhanced serviceability.
Global offering management director for the AC Power line of business at Vertiv Giovanni Zanei, said: “As digitalisation continues to grow across the world, we need to support our customers with solutions that not only help with adoption of alternative grid technologies, but also allow customers the option of monetising their existing assets. This isn’t just business critical, but critical for our planet as sustainable solutions for digital consumption will be a big part of global efforts to combat climate change and build a sustainable infrastructure fit for the future. We want to be part of the solution.”
“Today, deploying Liebert® EXL S1 with Dynamic Grid Support and lithium-ion battery technologies would enable participation in Ireland’s DS3 Programme – Delivering a Secure, Sustainable Electricity System – and the opportunity to earn revenues approaching 1 million Euro per year for 10 MW of flexible load,” said head of UK & Ireland operations at Enel X, leading provider of demand response, John Byrne. “The need for such grid services is strong and growing as both the country and Irish businesses look to decarbonise.”
Data centres and other critical infrastructures such as telco networks, Industry 4.0 factories and airports, have a key role to play in todays’ shifting energy landscape which presents new ways to be sustainable, generate revenues and lower energy costs. As a recent IEA report points out, tech companies could play a major role in helping to smooth out electricity use. Big tech companies could play an even bigger role in decarbonising the grid by adopting more flexible operations such as shifting workloads to battery storage or other energy reserves to match renewable generation or acting as a demand response resource.
Liebert EXL S1 with Dynamic Grid Support provides static and dynamic frequency regulation by controlling the input power and the batteries charge/discharge based on frequency activation thresholds. It also supports demand management services when the commands to modulate the UPS response are related to demand control flexibility.
Dedicated controls maintain the necessary battery energy to support the critical load in the event of an outage. When operating in Dynamic Grid Support mode, the UPS provides a fast response to react to the grid controller commands. The total response time between the frequency variation detection, required for the external controller to generate the command, and the moment the UPS reaches the specified power set point is within approximately 500 milliseconds. This enables organisations to protect their critical applications with stable power, and also helps grid operators stabilise variations in system frequency which occur as a result of the increased use of renewable energy sources.
